Today, we discuss the comma. It has rules attached to it that are easy to forget, and often hard to understand.

Which of these sentences is correctly punctuated?

A) Edgar Allan Poe’s short story, “The Tell Tale Heart,” describes the crazy narrator’s murder of the old man he lives with.
B) Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, is as enjoyable as it is educational.
C) Herman Melville’s novel, Moby-Dick, is as enjoyable as it is educational. Continue Reading ›

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Hi, everyone! While some of you might already be preparing for the next quiz you’ll be taking at school, some of us over at eNotes have been having (way too much) fun trying to make some. Don’t worry, though— none of these quizzes will affect your grade. Have a look at the list below to see what we’ve added to our collection so far!

1. Take the Shakespearean Deaths Quiz to figure out which tragedy has the highest body count, where you can read about revenge in the form of unwitting cannibalism, and more!

Why, William… why?!

2. If you take the Authors and Animals Quiz, be prepared for more than beloved dogs and cats of various authors. There may or may not be a lobster involved. Oh, also a bear.

…Fluffy?

3. At some point in your life, you might have encountered a book for which your hatred now burns with the fire of a thousand suns. Well, you are not alone in your passionate distaste for certain literature. Take our Author-on-author Insults Quiz to learn about the scathing remarks authors have made about other authors and their work.

“Lame!”

4. Remember that bit about people sharing your hatred? Well, not everyone is just content to rant about it at the next book club meeting. Some books offend people so deeply that they start throwing around the dreaded “b-word”— banned, that is. Our Banned Books Quiz contains questions that highlight some of the silliest reasons for banning books, quotes from authors who disapprove of censorship, and other fun tidbits about the baddest books in the business. A warning to those with weak constitutions: one of the books in this quiz features two rabbits getting married.

Won’t someone please think of the children?

5. Last but not least, there’s a little something to brighten your day and give you a nice change of pace if you happened to have already taken the first and admittedly morbid quiz on this list. The Love Quotes from Famous Authors Quiz is sure to give you some warm, literary fuzzies. What did Mark Twain have to say about matters of the heart? Who loved so deeply he longed for a new set of words to express his devotion? Take the quiz to find out!

D’aww.

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If you’ve waited to celebrate the chance to be Officially Subversive during Banned Books Week, it’s not too late! Sure, you probably figured that Huck Finn is a perennial favorite for its politically incorrect language and Fifty Shades of Grey for its Crimes Against Ink and Trees, but I am willing to bet there are quite a few that will make you say, “Ummm. What?” The alleged “reasons” for protecting Our Nation’s Youth are even more bizarre than you can imagine.

Take our quiz and see if you can guess the actual arguments that succeeded in getting the following ten books on the Naughty List. Answers at the end of quiz!